


Homebelly

by Missy



Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: Fairy Tales, Friendship, Gen, Hangover, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Sickfic, Stories within Stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2012-10-29
Packaged: 2017-11-17 06:46:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joxer drinks a bit too much homebrewed wine, and Gabrielle reluctantly spins a story to take his mind off his illness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homebelly

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Cottoncandy_Bingo: Prompt: Upset Stomach

Gabrielle eyed Joxer with worry as he belched and leaned against Argo’s side. She had warned him repeatedly against taking that homebrewed pruno the villagers had offered their band of merry travelers, but Joxer had been thirsty enough to drink mud and had consumed far beyond his fair share.

“Are you okay?” she wondered, keeping a fair distance back from him.

He gave her a smile. “Sure I a-.” Urp. He turned slightly green.

“Oh no! Joxer!” Then, belatedly, “My shoes!” Gabby yelped, jumping back a step. 

“I’m fine!” he insisted. “I’m fiiiiiineee…” Rocking about on his heels, Joxer’s eyes went wide. “Gabby? Can you take my mind off of how I feel?”

She cringed. He sounded like a needy child. “Sure. We have a few minutes to kill,” she said, eyeing the tavern. _Come on, Xena, where are you when I need you?_ But her salvation was nowhere near, so Gabrielle gathered Joxer up under a large oak tree and started weaving a story.

“Once upon a time,” she said, “there was a little boy with big ears and puppydog eyes. His name was…” she searched for the right word, then finally came up with, “BOXER! His name was Boxer!” 

“Clev-hick!-er!” Joxer grinned.

“Joxer was a nice little boy, but sometimes he did bad things, like hide his friend’s hiking boots when she’s about to hike in the Tartar woods…”

“I didn’t hide them!” Joxer insisted. “I told you – I mean I bet BOXER – needed them for a good reason.”

Gabriellle crossed her arms smugly over her chest. “Hiking through the mud to use an outhouse during a rainstorm isn’t a good enough reason.”

“Boots are supposed to get- BURP – WET, Gabby!” he frowned. “Now what about the rest of the story?”

“Well, one day Boxer decided to take a long trip. He knew he’d be going far away from home, so he brought every important thing with him. His lute and his helmet, and his armor. He didn’t have any close friends back home…and sometimes his new friends realize why…so he wasn’t sad to leave . Along the way, he met two nice ladies who…” She curled her lip upward, “tolerate him – sometimes even like him. But one day he woke up and the camp was dark, and both girls were asleep. It had been a long day, but he was actually excited to get going. He did all of the morning chores, swept the camp site and even brushed…Bargo the horse’s mane. Then he took out his lute and started to sing a song about his magic adventures.” The corner of her mouth quirked upward. “And when he sang, he woke up his little blonde friend. And even though she’s not much of a morning person, she woke up with a smile on her face. It was the first time his song had ever made her feel better, made her realize she was part of a big family.” She glanced down at the guy in her arms. “I guess you are worth the headaches, Joxer.”

An ear rattling snore filled the air. “And it looks like I’m on my way to one,” she winced, rubbing her ear.

**Author's Note:**

> The characters used in this work of fiction are the property of Renaissance pictures, and are used without the intent of monetary infringement of copyright.


End file.
